The tea trickled down the side of the cup and splashed onto Xie Chen’s sleeve.
Freshly brewed and still scalding hot, the liquid stained the moon-white brocade, creating a glaring blemish.
“I deserve to die…
Please forgive me, Young Master.” Ci’er immediately dropped to her knees, hastily pulling a plain handkerchief from her robes to wipe his sleeve.
A well-proportioned, elegant hand gently stopped her.
“It is fine.”
Xie Chen rose and left his seat without so much as a glance at his stained sleeve or the kneeling maid.
His retreating figure was slender and solitary, his flowing robes carrying an ethereal, unworldly aura—a perfect echo of the cold detachment he had shown in the carriage that day.
“You reckless wretch!
How dare you openly seduce the Young Master…” Liu Tingyue’s voice crashed down from above.
“Guards!
Drag her out and slap her face fifty times.
Then, throw her back to the maid selection office and let Ms.
Cui discipline her properly…”
Standing to the side, Ms.
Cui’s face turned pale and livid.
Over the past five years, she had pocketed plenty of silver, both openly and in secret, yet she had failed to select a single satisfactory woman for the Princely Heir.
Consort Liu had long since stopped giving her the time of day.
Ci’er was supposed to be her greatest hope, but now it was all ruined.
She glared viciously at Ci’er.
“You useless wretch!
Hands meant for tending beasts could never properly serve a noble!
I was truly blind to promote you.
Drag her away and beat her mercilessly.”
Two burly older servant women immediately stepped forward and seized Ci’er by the arms.
Cui Wei’s face was full of gloating schadenfreude.
Lady Li merely shook her head.
“A pity for such a pretty face.
She was far too reckless.”
“Please appease your anger, concubine.” Ci’er shoved the servant women’s hands away and prostrated herself firmly on the floor.
“I am of lowly birth and have never served a noble at such close quarters.
I lost my composure in a moment of panic, but I did not mean to offend.
I beg you to show mercy and allow me to finish the assessment.
If I fail, whether I am beaten or punished, I will not utter a single word of complaint.”
Liu Tingyue furrowed her brows, her heavy gaze falling upon the girl.
The girl certainly had a sharp tongue.
Since Xie Chen had already departed with such magnanimity, severely punishing a greenhorn maid in public would only earn Liu Tingyue a reputation for being narrow-minded and harsh to the servants.
Above all else, the Nine-Bestowments Royal Mansion valued dignity and reputation.
There was no rush to deal with a lowly maid.
“Enough.
The assessment is not yet over, so this concubine will spare you for now.” Her face darkened, and she slowed her words.
“But if you dare to be clumsy or try any more clever tricks, I will not let you off so easily.”
“Your Ladyship is merciful.
I shall remember this.”
Ci’er immediately put on a show of weeping gratitude.
Adopting a humble posture, she shrank her shoulders and took three steps back.
She obediently completed the rest of her assessment before using the excuse of needing to change her clothes to slip away quietly through a side door.
In the rear garden of Huanfang Pavilion, spring was well underway, and the branches full of winter plums were on the verge of withering.
The passing breeze carried the bleak, cold fragrance of fading blossoms.
A figure stood beneath an ancient plum tree.
Slender and aloof, he had his back turned to the path.
His crane cloak was completely spotless, his aura as biting as the frost, making him look as if he had merged seamlessly with the early spring scenery.
Ci’er slowly brought her footsteps to a halt.
Raising her foot, she deliberately snapped a dry branch beneath her sole.
CRACK!
The crisp sound rang out, abrupt and clear.
Xie Chen turned at the noise.
His features were as remote as the cold stones of a distant mountain.
“Who goes there?”
“Your servant, Ci’er.” She stepped out from the veil of cold fragrance, her voice soft and sweet, laced with a touch of apparent unease and awkwardness.
I apologize for disturbing your peace, Young Master…”
Xie Chen’s gaze swept lightly over her.
His expression was utterly placid—as though he were looking at a pillar, a patch of snow, or the red plums on the branches.
There was no extraneous emotion in his eyes.
Ci’er stopped three paces away, strictly observing the boundaries of their respective statuses.
Yet, as if driven by a sudden surge of emotion, she gazed up at the fading blossoms and murmured to herself, “Such a massive plum grove.
I have often heard people say that the Wei Family’s Plum Garden was unmatched under the heavens, but I imagine even that could not compare to the grace of this place…”
Xie Chen’s body stiffened imperceptibly.
His gaze locked onto her face, though he remained entirely silent.
The Wei Family’s Plum Garden had been reduced to scorched earth in a massive fire five years ago.
Feigning complete ignorance, Ci’er smiled warmly and openly.
“Do you like plum blossoms, Young Master?”
Without waiting for a response, she continued, “I like them too.
They bloom so fiercely and possess such an unyielding spirit.
They are never pretentious.”
A subtle shift occurred in Xie Chen’s eyes.
A flicker of fragmented emotion passed through them, vanishing too quickly to be captured.
The very next instant, he turned on his heel and walked away.
His wide robes brushed past her, stirring up a chilly breeze.
“Young Master,” Ci’er called out softly.
Xie Chen did not break his stride.
Watching his retreating back, Ci’er broke into a light jog to catch up with him, just as she had done many years ago.
Her voice was soft, yet filled with unwavering resolve.
“I want to stay.
I want to remain in the Prince Mansion and serve by your side, Young Master…
Chopping wood, sweeping the floors, tending the fires, or feeding the horses—I can do any rough or exhausting chore.
I have more than enough strength.
“I caused a disaster today.
If you will not help me and I am thrown back to the maid selection office, Aunt Cui will definitely beat me to death to vent her frustrations.
“I beg you to take pity on me, Young Master.
I am an orphan with neither father nor mother.
I have truly run out of options.”